VIDEO: Summer of Bananas

Bananas were always an affordable and healthy fruit for Australian families, but last year when cyclone Yasi hit Queensland it not only damaged homes but banana crops too.

We saw prices of bananas rise by up to 450%, and suddenly they became a purchase for special occassions, not a day to day item. The new harvest is in and prices have gone back down, but I for one will never take them for granted again!

To celebrate the return of bananas to our supermarket trolleys, Horticulture Australia have released a hilarious mockumentary of a “typical Aussie family” who got just a little bit excited about the price drop…leading them to buy 37,000 of them!

What can you do with 37,000 bananas in summertime? Watch the above video to find out!

This video certainly made me laugh as it hit close to home – while I didn’t quite go to the same extreme as the family in the video I did go a little banana crazy trying all kinds of recipes. Banana cake, bread, pancakes, smoothies, splits and muffins…my kids still get stuck with banana and yoghurt for dessert!

So, the moral of the story is…bananas are back!

Beauty and Lace giveaway

Because we think this video is such an Aussie classic, we are going to celebrate with a little Beauty and Lace giveaway. Watch the video above and using the comment box below, tell us what you would do with 37,000 bananas?

We’re giving away a set of two mystery books (mystery in title, not mystery in genre – we know you love surprises)for one lucky banana lover.

Australian residents only. Competition closes July 17th 2012 midnight AEST. Please use a valid email address so we can contact you if you are a winner. Judges decision is final.

37 bananas – make lots of banana cake
370 bananas – hand them out to family and friends
3700 bananas – deliver them to our local public school of 1000 children
37000 bananas – Ship them to a 3rd world country

Wow that’s a lot of bananas!
I would make lots of banana splits and banana icecream and donate both bananas and banana icecream to Food Bank.
And with all those banana peels I would make some lovely paper.
Yes it can be done and you can’t let 37,000 banana peels go to waste.

Party at my place! We’ll start with banana daiquiris (banana smoothies for the teetotallers), served with banana chips, then finish with banana splits and caramelised bananas with rum sauce. 37,000 bananas won’t be enough!

37000?! Well gosh.. I’d dry them into banana chips!
I mean I do NOT want to go through that shortage or price hike ever again! We were at a total loss without bananas. Staple food emergency item of all Mums. Down here in Tassie they hit $14 a kilo! It was hideous.
A woman in South Africa was telling me at the time that she understood because they had a zucchini shortage. WTH!? How do you even GET a zucchini shortage? They grow like weeds. Cannot even give them away to the neighbours. Expensive apparently. Yet they were paying something like $1 a kilo for my beloved bananas. Pity we couldn’t swap at the time… Zucchini. HARDLY comparable to the Brilliant Banana!
“Muuuuummm… I’m hungry.”
“Just a minute.”
“Muuuuuuummmm.. My tummy is growling!”
“Just. A. Minute! Busy!”
“MAAAAARRRRRRMMMM!”
“JUST GRAB A BANANA!!!!!!!!”
Now replace that with “Grab a zucchini!” Like THAT is going to happen. It just doesn’t work, considering the usefulness of a banana to a Mum, to compare it to a ZUCCHINI. Seriously.
Stockpiling now. On my way to 37000……
And do you know? If they refuse to eat the chips they still have many many uses.. especially as spare counters for all those board games that are ALWAYS missing at least three.

Bananas make the best ice cream! You need to freeze the bananas though so you might need a really big freezer for 37,000 of them but I promise it will be worth it!

It’s also great for vegans, gluten-free, dairy-allergic, and those on sugar-free diets.

Frozen bananas are good for more than just making cakes or dipping in chocolate. If you freeze a banana until solid, then process it in a blender or food processor, it becomes creamy and a little gooey, just like good custard ice cream. Yuk!, you might think and that’s exactly what I thought but it is so good and not like you would imagine. I thought it would be flaky or icy but it makes CREAMY – RICH ICE CREAM.

HERE”S HOW!!!!
Peelthe bananas.
• Cut them into small pieces.
• Freeze for just 1-2 hours on a plate.
• Blend, blend, blend – scraping down the bowl when they stick.
• Enjoy the magic moment when they turn into ice cream!

You can add other things like a tablespoon of peanut butter or honey. Mmmmm! I’m off to buy some banana’s!!!!

Big party, lots of people and I’d put them all into barrels and have stomping the bananas like they do for grapes. (of course feet would be sterlised and have to wear protective gear on their feet) Then we’d make banana and caramel pies and we’d share them with all our friends and the not so fortunate.

There’s only so many bananas that I could eat! Yes the skins are good in compost and im sure there are other uses too such as making paper. But there are other people out in the wide world who would need them more than me. Africa, Ethiopia, plenty of Natural Disasters happening and dont start me on the Orangatans. Im just one person, I want to do my share! Would it make a difference, maybe not but 37,000 bananas sure would!

37,000 bananas…My mind has wonderous ideas on what creative receipes I could come up with to sustain myself and my family. Banana bread, cakes, smoothies, ice cream, yoghurt, muffins, cupcakes…. the list goes on… However my daily smoothie includes 4 bananas each morning would allow myself and family to gain beneficial nutrients and vitamins each day. A great way to start each day!!

37,000 ?????
Well for sure there would be a sign up outside my house “Bananas Free PLEASE TAKE SOME!!!!”
We would have banana cakes, muffins , bread.
Steak and hananas, chicken and bananas, Roast lamb, beef and chicken with bananas….you name it…it comes with bananas.

Bananas for beauty: Mashed bananas would work wonders for the skin and would be used for relaxing facials.
Remember Carmen Marianda with the fruit on her head? Well the Carman look would be back in fashion but with loads of bananas which would be very handy when you were out shopping and felt a little peckish.

I would have to do studies to see if i could run my car on banana power.

I would phone Zoo’s from all over Australia and ask if the Chimps wanted to come over for lunch.

Firstly I’d fill my freezers with chopped up frozen banana pieces – because they make the most delicious ice cream. Then I’d make a few irresistible favourite banana recipes. I’d give bananas to my friends and family and then the remainder I would donate to Mogo Zoo!
That way everyone can share in Banana Love.

37000 bananas I would do letter box drops,1 banana per home with an encouragement letter on how great a banana is for you.
The stores would love me as they would get more money coming in and save many jobs

That sure is a lot of bananas, maybe banana lounges round the town pool so residents could help themselves…but probably a better idea would somehow be to get them sent to refugee camps around the globe or into areas experiencing huge natural disasters just to put smiles on peoples faces, because realisically who do you know that doesn’t love bananas!

37000 Bananas, a treat for sure, blend in a milkshake, banana cakes and fritters, stews and simply with custard. To share, to sell and fundraise for a cause, no point sending to 3rd world asia, they’ve their own.

37,000 bananas would sure take some storage space. I think I would keep some to make smoothies for all the family on a regular occasion and the remainder could be distributed to schools in the local region for the children for their lunches or perhaps their school canteens could make smoothies as well, there would have to be a considerable donation of milk given to them as well, if this latter alternative was chosen.

Australian Olympians often can’t get access to familiar food when competing off shore. Wouldn’t it be great to fly 37,000 North Queensland bananas to London so that our athletes can indulge daily! Great for the Queensland banana industry as well.

I would share them with everyone. I would particularly enjoy taking them to school and sharing with every single child a banana a day for a whole 47 days. We would be the healthiest school around for miles and we would win every interschool sports carnival too.

I think it would be great to give them to the needy people in shelters or the homeless or for those people who are in need of food. So any charity that assist those who go without would be more than greatfull to make sure that those in need would get the bananas

i would donate some to charity some to all Victorian schools for the breakfast programs they run for kids who don’t get breky as they carnt afford it or they come from low income ect then with whats left i would give them to the elderly who struggle on a daily basis to keep there heaters running if they even have a home the homeless also could benifet like the salvation army who run food centres and feed these beautiful people who need our help we all need to open our hearts and pockets guys

If I had 37, 000 Banana’s I would give them all away to people like St Vincent De Paul and Salvation Army who could pass them onto people who are less fortunate then me – and use them in their soup kitchens etc

I would hand them out to children at our 3 huge local schools for morning tea several days in a row to show children how convenient and delicious bananas are and the rest I would freeze and cook with – Y U M !

i,d throw a banana party everyone who comes gets a free bag of bananas we serve only banana flavoured beverages and banana cakes and other delicious banana food because i think all my family and friends deserve enough potassium in their diet

I think they should go with the Australian Olympic team to sustain them through the London (supposedly) summer. Not only will they provide great energy & vitamins maybe they could scatter a few skins at appropriate time just to help them in dodgy situations.